Representative 2019 model. Photo: LuvsMG481, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2018 BMW X3 recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2018 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 11
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 76
Latest campaign: Oct 15, 2024

Recall summary by component11

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Structure	3	Oct 15, 2024	24V764000 24V534000 18V154000
Electrical system	2	Mar 18, 2020	20V152000 17V719000
Air bags	1	Jul 8, 2021	21V521000
Back over prevention	1	Sep 27, 2019	19V684000
Seats	1	Jul 31, 2019	19V563000
Service brakes, hydraulic	1	Jul 6, 2018	18V453000
Exterior lighting	1	Jun 21, 2018	18V431000
Lane departure	1	Jun 6, 2018	18V374000

Safety recalls11

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Oct 15, 2024Latest campaign


Oct 15, 202424V764000	Structure Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury. DetailsHide details for campaign 24V764000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2022 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the rear cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching. Risk Interior rear cargo rail detachment during a crash can increase the risk of injury. Remedy Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 12, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicles in this recall were previously remedied for this issue under recall number 24V-534 and will need to have the new repair completed. Campaign NHTSA 24V764000 · Oct 15, 2024
Jul 17, 202424V534000	Structure Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury. DetailsHide details for campaign 24V534000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2023 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3 M vehicles. The attachment for the interior cargo rail may become damaged in a rear crash and result in the cargo rail detaching. Risk Interior cargo rail detachment during a rear crash can increase the risk of injury. Remedy Dealers will replace the rear cargo rail attachment bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2024. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Campaign NHTSA 24V534000 · Jul 17, 2024
Jul 8, 202121V521000	Air bags: frontal A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. DetailsHide details for campaign 21V521000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The front passenger seat occupant classification system may have been improperly assembled, which could result in the misclassification of the seat as unoccupied, and deactivate the front air bag. Risk A deactivated front air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Remedy Dealers will replace the seat foam, which includes the occupant classification system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Campaign NHTSA 21V521000 · Jul 8, 2021
Mar 18, 202020V152000	Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other… DetailsHide details for campaign 20V152000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40i, and 2018-2020 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X3M vehicles. The instrument panel casing may not have been tightened properly to the passenger air bag. Risk In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, the air bag could damage the instrument panel and cause small pieces of the panel to strike the driver or other occupants, increasing the risk of injury. Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the instrument panel casing, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Campaign NHTSA 20V152000 · Mar 18, 2020
Sep 27, 201919V684000	Back over prevention: sensing system camera The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 19V684000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 540d, 2018-2020 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, M550i xDrive, M5, 530e, 530e xDrive, X3 sDrive, X3 xDrive, X3 M40i, X3 M, and 2019-2020 X4 xDrive, X4 M40i, X4 M, X7 xDrive, X7 M50i, 740Li, 740Li xDrive, 750Li, 750Li xDrive, 8 Series Convertible and Coupe 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, X5 sDrive, X5 xDrive, X5 M50i, X6 xDrive, X6 M50i, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, Z4 sDrive, Z4 M40i, 740Le xDrive and 745Le xDrive, 2018-2019 640i xDrive Gran Turismo and Rolls-Royce Phantom, 2019 M850i xDrive Gran Coupe and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and 2020 Toyota Supra vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors." Risk The lack of an image in the back-up camera display increases the risk of a crash. Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will update the back-up camera software, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417 or Rolls-Royce at 1-877-877-3735. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Campaign NHTSA 19V684000 · Sep 27, 2019
Jul 31, 201919V563000	Seats In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward. DetailsHide details for campaign 19V563000 What's wrong BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018-2019 X3 sDrive30i, xDrive30i and M40i and 2019 X4 xDrive30i and M40i vehicles. The front seatback frames may have been improperly welded, allowing the seatback to unexpectedly fold forward or rearward. Risk In the event of a crash, there is an increased risk of injury if the seatback folds forward or rearward. Remedy BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seats, free of charge. The recall began September 27, 2019. Owners may contact BMW customer service 1-800-525-7417. Campaign NHTSA 19V563000 · Jul 31, 2019

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the BMW recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component76

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

76Complaints filed

4Involving a crash

2Involving a fire

2Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Electrical system	22	29	0	0	0
Engine	16	21	0	0	0
Unknown or other	12	16	2	2	2
Structure	9	12	0	0	0
Steering	7	9	2	0	0
Exterior lighting	6	8	0	0	0
Air bags	5	7	0	0	0
Suspension	5	7	0	0	0
Service brakes	5	7	3	0	2
Engine and engine cooling	4	5	0	0	0
Back over prevention	3	4	0	0	0
Power train	2	3	0	0	0
Visibility/wiper	2	3	0	0	0
Seat belts	2	3	0	0	0
Seats	2	3	0	0	0

5 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Electrical system
“I am reporting a serious safety-related failure involving my 2018 BMW X3. While I was driving on Highway [XXX] in [XXX] on XXX, the vehicle suddenly lost electrical power and became disabled while I was traveling in…”
Filed 10/04/2026 · ODI 11768849
Structure
“A rock hit the front of the moonroof glass and a minutes later the moonroof tempered glass exploded while driving.”
Filed 09/17/2026 · ODI 11765127
Electrical system
“My car suddenly lost all power when at a red light in a turn lane on an active roadway. Fortunately, it was daytime because I could not turn on hazards or lights.”
Filed 09/10/2026 · ODI 11763447

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2018 BMW X3 recall questions

How many recalls does the 2018 BMW X3 have?

NHTSA lists 11 safety recall campaigns for the 2018 BMW X3. The most recent, 24V764000 (reported October 15, 2024), concerns structure. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2018 BMW X3 recalls for?

The largest group is structure, with 3 campaigns. Others: electrical system (2), air bags (1), back over prevention (1). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2018 BMW X3?

Electrical system is the most-reported component, named in 22 complaints out of 76 filed with NHTSA (29%). Across all complaints, owners reported 4 crashs and 2 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2018 BMW X3?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the BMW recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised BMW dealer.

Check a specific BMW by VIN

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